Wrong Reflection
by SunMooku
Summary: Upon the defeat of Yhwach, Ichigo falls unconscious for months. When he wakes up, he realizes there are many things that have changed around him, most notably the allies he has acquired. However, what baffles him most is the changes in himself. What happens when he wakes up as a scrawny 15-year-old, unable to channel his powers? Rely on Urahara and...Hueco Mundo? Eventual Grimmichi
1. Act 1

**PROLOGUE**

**This couldn't be happening.**

No, he absolutely _**refused **_to believe this was happening.

A day ago? A week? A Month ago, perhaps? He couldn't be sure how long he had been unconscious. He had been a man in control of his life, abilities, and newfound discoveries about himself that he had embraced over time. All these personal experiences, physically and emotionally, however, had been stripped away singlehandedly by his most formidable opponent.

He remembers, memories so hazy yet persistent in being recalled. He remembers when he had to escape from Quilge's cage when he had arrived at the perfect time to Soul Society and had immediately clashed with Yhwach. It was unmistakable that what was occurring to him _now, _was all a plan that the bastard had orchestrated ahead during that battle. In more ways than one, it all felt like a sick, twisted joke that he had to face another drawback because of his enemies.

He remembers their last battle, one in which resulted in his victory. However, he also remembers that as soon as he had struck him down his world went dark. He remembers hearing the chanting of his friends as they watched, all which had swiftly changed from cheerful to alarming. Given that memory, he could only assume that he had collapsed. It explained his misconception of time and how he was in his bedroom and not on the battlefield, but it failed to explain why he looked the way he did.

He can only compare his predicament now as a throwback to the past. His abilities and all that had made him who he was had been sacrificed for Aizen's defeat. Now? He was dealing with quite a similar obstacle, albeit perhaps more merciful. His powers were locked away, but not necessarily gone. His profound connection to Zangetsu was making him hear all kinds of gibberish, but it sounded important. Zangetsu was trying to explain, but it all came with static, his voice barely scratching the surface of his mind.

All this remembering, however, was not helping him in the least as to what he was seeing now. There he saw, on the mirror of his closet, a sight that he had not seen for years. He hadn't ever expected to see it again, given how time cannot be reversed. In his case, it seemed that the laws of time could be broken if you could see everything. The only one who managed to see everything through the past, present and future had been Yhwach.

The face that was being reflected back to him was far more youthful than he remembers, his body absent of muscle mass, and judging by the length of his legs, he was shorter. In conclusion, he was back in his fifteen-year-old body. Although, he wasn't necessarily back in time if the dated envelope on his desk was anything to go by.

Ichigo swallows as his slender (_unused_) fingers snatch the note, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration as he reads the letter inside it.

[ _If you're reading this letter, CONGRATS! It means you haven't been asleep for years and you can still function normally. If not, that's too bad. We have missed you quite terribly, Ichigo! However, enough of the sentimental words. We can be sentimental together by you stopping by my shop! As you have (obviously) noticed, your body is not the same as you remember. While at this dated time I don't have an answer, I am sure when you wake up I will have one ready._

_Get well soon,_

_Kisuke Urahara _

_P.S._

_You may be surprised about a few…changes in our world. Most notably from the most unlike of allies. However, rest assure! They have been very helpful in the reconstruction of Soul Society! Visit us (and them) soon! _]

The teen stared at the letter, his eyebrows furrowing more as to what he's talking about. He knows about change, he knows how disorienting it can be. He only hopes that it isn't as drastic as a man in his twenties becoming a teenager again. Which leads to the question of just how many people know about his…predicament. He knows that in the wrong ears, he could be in for a hell of a time.

A soft sigh escapes him, his body twitching the slightest as it tries to adjust to his commands. Ichigo frowns as he experimentally moves his legs over his bed, his balance slightly off. With the help of his desk, he grasps the edge tightly as he slowly stands, his knees wobbling in protest. The fact that he wasn't towering over some of the things that he owned confused him greatly.

"Alright, I'm—" He immediately clamped his mouth shut, his chocolate orbs widening. It took him longer than he would like to admit that the thought of his voice changing hadn't been considered. He felt horrified at the fact that such a high-pitched voice had once been _**his. **_It was no wonder that those gangsters in his teenage years hadn't taken him seriously.

Ichigo had been too absorbed in his own thoughts that he had unknowingly taken another step. This time, luck had not been on his side. He immediately landed face first on the floor, a loud _**THUD **_echoing around his bedroom. "Ugh…" A groan escaped him, his hand slowly rising to rub at his abused nose.

What he hadn't considered, yet again, was the fact that his family had been waiting for his awakening as well. After his lame stunt to walk after _months _of not using his legs, he had made enough ruckus for his family to know he was awake. Ichigo tried his best to sit back, his ears immediately picking up the sound of various pairs of footsteps heavily stepping on the stairs and rushing to get to his door first.

Ichigo, despite knowing it was family, felt his heart hammer against his chest rapidly in anticipation. He wasn't sure how he would begin explaining that even though it had been apparently months since they had last spoken, he would have to part from them to figure out how to reverse his body to his rightful age. The only way he knew how was to entrust himself to Mr. Hat-and-Clogs' knowledge and training and somehow make the seemingly impossible happen.


	2. Act 2

**IT HAD BEEN BIZZARE **to think that to _him _it had been a few days since he had last seen his family, while to them it had been months. It did not help that he noticed there were changes to his family, but he couldn't pinpoint what was different. He supposed it was due to the lack of his powers that he couldn't tell. Even so, that did not mean he couldn't feel the subtle changes in high-leveled reiatsu, most notably in Karin's.

Even though he had numerous questions, he knew that his family wouldn't be the one to provide the correct answers. He wanted to run to Urahara's shop, bust inside and demand to know why he looked the way he did. In fact, he would have done exactly that—except, he wasn't as reckless as he used to be. His appearance may be youthful, but he knew better than to assault the very guy that could help him—although, that didn't mean he wasn't going to demand whether Karin had been visiting him lately. He was the only one he could think of being capable of training her.

His pondering was interrupted by Yuzu cheerily placing a dinner plate before him, her smile lighting up her features in a way that made his concerns lessen. "Thanks, Yuzu," Ichigo smiled slightly as he looked at the food, his stomach not-so-kindly rumbling at being able to eat actual food after months of simply being fed through tubes. "Looks good."

"You're welcome, big brother!" Yuzu cheerily responded as she situated herself, her gaze sometimes sneaking towards his direction to steal a few peeks of her brother's appearance as she ate. It was astonishing to see her brother look exactly like he once did when she was barely eleven. There were many details she had missed back then, a few being how his jaw wasn't as defined as she remembered. His height wasn't as towering as she once thought, or how his hair wasn't as short.

Her discreet staring was soon followed by Isshin and Karin, both of who had tried their best to explain the situation to a previously disoriented Ichigo. It hadn't worked, but somehow, the man (_**teen**_) wasn't reassured and had only felt more agitated over his situation.

Their staring, of course, was not at all subtle to the orangette. It didn't take long before his eyebrow began to twitch, followed by his eyebrows slowly furrowing the more he became aware of their (failing) subtle stares.

Ichigo inhaled, trying his best to be patient with his family and be understanding that it must have been very weird for them to have witnessed his de-aging firsthand. It was only when he realized that they had stopped eating altogether and were openly gawking that his patience withered away.

"Am I a walking freak from the circus, or _what_?" Even though his words were slightly heated, it didn't necessarily sound angry. He was simply gradually becoming more self-conscious, to the point where he didn't even want to speak due to being aware of the change in his voice. His words, however, had an opposite effect on his family.

Nostalgia had not been the intended result.

"The eyebrow twitches!" Yuzu suddenly blurted out, a wide grin slowly spreading over her face.

"The calm before the storm!" Karin supplied, sounding almost fondly.

"My youthful _son_!" Isshin sobbed as he jumped over the table, his outstretched arms indicating the upcoming hug. "Oh, how we've missed you!" His sudden emotional outcry made Ichigo tense.

"Wha—!" The teen had a split-second to decide, and yet, the only thing his brain managed to supply him with was to scoot back in his chair. He was soon admonished by his father's hug before he could think of a better plan. He yelped as the chair fell back, his father's weight immediately crushing him. Even though he had been fed for months, he could easily tell that his body was weaker than he remembered. "You—!" Ichigo wheezed as he was about to throw his father off, only to soon be admonished by his sisters as well. "You guys! What gives!?" He helplessly looked between the three pair of heads, unable to twist his body away.

The three of them lifted their heads, the tears from Isshin and Yuzu, as well as the hidden sadness in Karin's eyes, made Ichigo's heartache. "We missed you," They blurted out in unison, causing the orangette to freeze under their arms. Ichigo's eyes fluttered closed, his head defeatedly fell back on the floor.

"Give me a break…" Ichigo muttered although the unmistakable smile that was threatening to spread over his lips said otherwise. He slowly lifted his arms, placing them around them as best as he could. He gently pulled them closer, a soft smile forming on his lips as he finally gave them what they had been waiting for. "_Tadaima _(I'm home)."

The soft warm laughter that followed his announcement was soon interrupted by his small painful groan. The realization that he was being crushed under their weight was increasingly becoming too much for Ichigo to handle. "Could you guys get off me now?"

0oOo0

**HE FINALLY MADE IT **even though it had felt like an eternity to walk from his house to Urahara's shop. Isshin had offered to take him but Ichigo knew that he needed to get his body used to moving around or he would be doing more than just demanding spiritual training. He certainly didn't need physical therapy to be added to the list and certainly not from a creep like Urahara.

Ichigo walked into the entrance of the familiar shop, his gaze taking in all of what had changed. In truth, there weren't any _outdoor _changes, aside from the destroyed side of a room that seemed to have been hit by something suspiciously akin to a cero. He wasn't sure whether to be preoccupied of Urahara's safety or simply believe he may have had it coming. After a few moments of standing around, he slid the shoji door and immediately noticed the unusual silence.

"Urahara-san?" Ichigo called out loudly as he made his way inside. He slipped off his shoes as he stepped into the wooden floor, his head turning in various directions to try and see if anyone was home. He slowly made his way through the empty hallway, his gaze flickering uneasily around himself. There was a sudden strange dull pressure on his skull before Urahara suddenly popped his head out.

"Kurosaki-san!" He beamed as he called his name out, only to be struck directly on his chin. Urahara staggered back, his hand quickly rubbing at the assaulted area. The shorter teen panted, his heart hammering loudly against his chest at the sudden intrusion. "You idiot! Are you trying to put me back in a coma!?" Ichigo fumed, his fists clenched tightly by his sides.

"Ahh, I haven't felt that since—" Urahara fell unusually silent. He immediately lifted his fan, his gaze glinting mysteriously at the teen. "…this morning. You're awake now, I see!" His emotions and personality seemed to suddenly brighten, the eerie aura disappearing. "My, my, you look—"

"Inexperienced?" Ichigo supplied.

"I was going for young, but yes, inexperienced is a better one," Urahara circled around him, his gaze taking in the appearance of the teen. Ichigo, on the other hand, was turning his head to suspiciously look at the male. "Well, what is it?" Ichigo impatiently spoke, his arms crossing over his chest.

Urahara smiled behind his fan as he halted before the teen, his gaze indicating trouble. "He won't like this," He muttered. Ichigo raised an eyebrow, his lips parting to question what he means. Urahara, upon noticing his inquiring look, suddenly snapped his fan close to change the conversation. "Right then! You have questions, and I have the answers! Or, at least, I _would _have answers, but it seems you woke up a little too early, Kurosaki-san."

The teen gawked at the male, his words failing to come out properly. Instead, it was furious gibberish that sounded a lot more like accusations than facts. Urahara had suspected this outburst, however, he was going to deal with a greater one as soon as he mentioned certain changes that have happened around the past months.

"Kurosaki-san," The serious tone of Urahara made Ichigo paused midway through his rant, only for him to suddenly be tapped on his forehead by his cane. The two stood silent as the cane simply rested over his face. His eyebrow twitched, his hand shooting up to swat it away. "What the hell was that?" Urahara smirked as he placed the cane back to his side.

"Oh, you know, just simple research to figure out how we can reverse this," His casual response made Ichigo tense. He knew that Urahara was searching for answers, but he didn't think it would be seen as _research _material. "I know just the one who will gather more information for us and he won't be too thrilled about it."

"What? Who?" Ichigo's question was left unanswered as Urahara swiftly made his way to the kitchen. "Hey, hold on! Who else knows about this!" The orangette quickly chased after the other, his agitation rising to dangerous levels. He had more questions and the bastard was avoiding each one. If he didn't know better, he'd say that Urahara was purposely withholding information from him.

He parted his lips to demand answers when sudden footsteps rushed down the stairs as though a hellhound were chasing after them. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO, I JUST WANTED TO HELP!" Jinta's horrified yell was followed with him nearly tripping over his own feet as he bolted straight for the backdoor. There was a split moment of recognition as he rushed by Ichigo, only for his eyes to sparkle as though he had just seen his savior. The red-head slipped as he practically crawled to the former Shinigami's side. "Ichigo!" He clasped his hands on his shoulders, his eyes nearly watering over the unshakable fear of being caught."You **must** help me! Please, I'm _begging you_! I just wanted to help him and I—"

"YOU LITTLE FUCKER!"

Whatever else Jinta had been babbling on about fell on deaf ears as Ichigo stared wide-eyed at just who had stormed down the stairs after Jinta. There, standing a few feet from him stood the very one who had assisted in the Quincy war. If it hadn't been for his assistance, he was sure that there would have been more causalities than necessary. And yet, the rising prickling sensation behind his neck warned him of the danger. In any other situation he would have listened, but what was drawing his attention was the fact that he wasn't the only one who had changed in appearance.

Grimmjow stood there, frozen on the spot as he spotted a familiar ridiculous mop of orange hair. It had been months since he had last seen it, and frankly, he had thought the bastard had fallen from the face of the Earth. And yet, there was something drastically different about him. He knew that he didn't possess his powers anymore, but what they had failed to inform him was that it wasn't just his powers that had been drawn out. Apparently, his age had been decreased too.

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow barely whispered as he stared at the other.

If it wasn't for Urahara forcing him into a gigai that suppressed his own abilities, he would have surely shredded the red-headed moron that cowardly hid behind Kurosaki.


End file.
